Elizabeth Line Passengers faced a nightmarish experience as hundreds were stranded on trains for hours due to damage to overhead electric cables near Ladbroke Grove, affecting services to and from Paddington station. The disruption impacted the Elizabeth Line, Great Western Railway, and Heathrow Express trains, leaving passengers stuck in dark and cold conditions for more than three hours on Thursday. To compound the situation, police were called to investigate a reported sexual assault on the Elizabeth line during the chaos.
Engineers managed to open two lines for electric trains serving Paddington, but significant disruptions are expected until 18:00 GMT on Friday. Great Western Railway (GWR) has advised customers to avoid traveling between London and Reading until further notice. The incident also drew attention to a strike by train drivers’ union Aslef, with a manager drafted in to cover during the strike reportedly driving the train involved in the cable damage. The disruptions add to recent challenges faced by Paddington services, including rail system faults in recent weeks. British Transport Police responded to reports of a sexual assault on the Elizabeth line service during the incident, with investigations ongoing. Public figures, including TV personality Rachel Riley and singer James Blunt, were among those expressing frustration and inconvenience due to the disrupted service. Riley posted on social media about being stuck on the Elizabeth line for nearly four hours, while Blunt humorously mentioned being stranded outside Paddington for close to four hours, running out of peanuts and wine.